CHRONIC CHLAMYDIA-PNEUMONIAE INFECTION IS ASSOCIATED WITH A SERUM-LIPID PROFILE KNOWN TO BE A RISK FACTOR FOR ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection has been associated with coronary heart disease. To evaluate the mechanisms of this association, we studied w hether chronic C. pneumoniae infection affects serum lipid values simi larly to acute infections. Triglyceride, total and HDL cholesterol con centrations, and C. pneumoniae antibodies were measured from paired se rum samples of 415 Finnish males taken 3 years apart. Chronic infectio n, defined as persistent IgG and IgA antibodies, was found in 20%, and the antibodies were negative (IgG<32 and IgA<16 in both samples) in 1 5% of the cases studied. The serum triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations were higher in the subjects with a chronic C. pneumonia e infection than in the subjects with no antibodies (1.23 versus 1.03 mmol/L and 6.41 versus 6.31 mmol/L, respectively). The HDL cholesterol concentrations and the ratios of HDL cholesterol to total cholesterol were significantly decreased in the subjects with chronic infection ( 1.24 versus 1.36 mmol/L, P=.026; and 0.19 versus 0.22, P=.018, respect ively). Chronic C. pneumoniae infection seems to be associated with a serum lipid profile considered to increase the risk of atherosclerosis . This finding supports the hypothesis that infections play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.